


Darcy Does Not Want Roses

by BuzzCat



Series: 30 Day Cheesy Tropes And Rare Pairs Challenge [27]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Muteness, florist!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2016-12-21
Packaged: 2018-09-10 23:05:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8943115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuzzCat/pseuds/BuzzCat
Summary: Darcy has been working in a flower shop long enough to have people in four categories: those who buy flowers for the sick, those who buy flowers for the dead, those who buy flowers because they're in love, and Natasha. Natasha defies all categories and Darcy has heart-eyes for the gorgeous redhead who comes in every other day.





	

It’s not that Darcy hated her job. In fact, sometimes it was downright pleasant. It’s just that sometimes, she wasn’t especially _good_ at her job. When she had been hired on as a florist, she’d met all the on-paper qualifications. Previous customer service experience, knows how to clean up, how to make change, run a cash register. Really, on paper a monkey could do it. It was the practical application that gave Darcy a little trouble. Because working as a cashier at the local grocery store back home was very different from working as a cashier at a flower shop in New York. When people came to the grocery store, they needed eggs, milk, and bread. When people came to the flower shop, it was never for something so simple. When people bought flowers, it involved _feelings_.

After two years, Darcy pretty much had people down into three categories: someone was dead, someone was sick, or someone was in love. If someone was dead, the order was pretty standard. White lilies, maybe poinsettias if it was winter, and a card that said something to the tune of “My condolences”. Darcy never even tried to make small talk with these people; it just got depressing. She’d help ring them up, try to find the least offensive way to wish them a good day, and they’d be on their way. The next category was almost morbidly Darcy’s favorite. If someone was sick, you only bought flowers if you still had hope. Hospital bouquets tended to be cheery, full of oranges and yellows to try to brighten up a dreary room. These people were a little more fun to talk to, if only because they at least wanted to talk to her. On the whole, people buying flowers for someone who was sick were the most tolerable. The people in love were by far Darcy’s least favorite. Her first months working, it had been sweet to see someone come in and by roses for their sweetheart. Sometimes they asked her what the colors of the roses meant. The first month, Darcy had had no idea. By the third month, she’d had it down by memory. The people in love had been great, right up until Valentine’s Day. Prom season. Darcy had sold more roses in the weeks surrounding those two events than she had ever hoped to touch in her entire life. And each customer wanted to tell her why their love was different, was special. They wanted to wax poetic about their spouse and Darcy was glad for them she really was, but she had fourteen other people all in hurry behind them.

Yes, Darcy had people down into three categories. Except for Natasha.

Natasha had only been showing up for a couple months. She’d come in every other day, an order written down on a scrap of paper. Then, after a couple weeks, she’d switch to something entirely different. Darcy had no idea what the flowers were for, but she brightened up each time Natasha walked in. The redhead was in too often for the flowers to be for the sick or dead, and she didn’t have that starry-eyed mooning look on her face for them to be for a romantic other (for which Darcy was privately glad). No matter what Darcy tried, she couldn’t get Natasha to talk either. She’d tried mentioning the weather, how the Yankees were playing, a symphony that had come to town. All Natasha ever gave her was a smile and a polite nod. Darcy would have left her alone weeks ago, were it not for the way Natasha smiled at her when she first walked in. Each time, Natasha walked in and paused to take a deep breath. Something about it made it look like the woman herself had blossomed in that brief second. Every single time, Darcy felt some of that goodness just radiating off her and she soaked it up when Natasha smiled at her.

Natasha had been coming in for five months when Darcy finally decided that it was time to stop playing around. When Natasha came in to pick up her bouquet, Darcy made sure to have a gift sitting on the side of the counter. Sure enough, Natasha came in right on schedule. She walked up to the counter and before she said a word, Darcy handed her the bouquet Natasha had ordered two days ago. Natasha smiled and it might have been Darcy’s imagination, but there seemed to be something more to the smile today. She rang her up and just as the transaction finished and Natasha was about to walk away, Darcy spoke up,

“Wait!” Natasha turned, frowning. Darcy hesitated. There really was no precedent for this. She really couldn’t be sure how it would be received. But now was not the time for timidity. She set her gift on the counter: a small pot of violets, some buds barely open and some already in full blossom. Natasha looked at it, confused. Darcy pushed it forward slightly,

“It’s for you.” Natasha slowly stepped forward, examining it like an appraiser faced with a particularly fine jewel. Gently, she set the bouquet of flowers on the counter before digging in her purse. Darcy shook her head, “No, no charge.” But it wasn’t a wallet that Natasha was digging for. She pulled out a pad of paper and pen before scribbling on it. She passed it to Darcy, and Darcy read:

_Thank you. It’s gorgeous._

“You’re welcome. I thought you might appreciate it.”

 _Indeed. Everlasting love, as well as one of the more popular flowers associated with Sappho._ Darcy blushed at the last comment. Many people didn’t quite make that connection. Darcy shrugged,

“I just thought they were pretty. It reminded me of you.” Certainly not her smoothest pickup line, but Natasha’s smile meant Darcy didn’t exactly regret it. Darcy frowned, “So is that why you never responded to conversation? You can’t speak?”

 _Don’t speak. For a variety of reasons._ Natasha left her explanation there. Darcy shrugged,

“Fair enough. So, um, assuming I haven’t screwed anything up, do you want to go to a movie?”

_Yes._

“Tonight?”

_Tomorrow?_

“Eight?”

 _Eight. I’ll meet you here._ Darcy nodded at that, smiling,

“Eight o’clock tomorrow.” Natasha nodded. Darcy frowned, “So, I have to ask: why are you always buying flowers?” Natasha’s expression was one of a good-natured yet long-suffering friend.

_My roommate is a painter. He was commissioned to do a collection of paintings of flowers. His allergies prevent him from coming in himself and since he is apparently incapable of saying no when someone asks for art, I come fetch his subjects for him._

“Sounds like you’re a good friend.”

 _I try._ Somehow, Darcy could hear the haughty tone to the words and she laughed. Natasha smiled back at her, this time the smile bigger. She pulled the pot of violets into her free arm. Darcy waved her off,

“Eight o’clock tomorrow? Meet here?” Natasha nodded as she pushed the door open and Darcy wasn’t sure if she imagined it, but it looked like Natasha had a spring in her step as she walked away. As soon as she was out of sight, Darcy had to fist pump. She’d scored a hot date with the mysterious redhead, she managed to give a pretty cute gift if she did say so herself, and she finally understood what category Natasha fit in. Once she got this friend’s name, she’d have to send them a fruit basket and thank them for helping her find lesbian love in the middle of a flower shop.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a little rusty on my flower meanings, so this is whatever Google and Tumblr could turn up. Also, as I don't know anyone who is mute in real life, please let me know if I handled something wrong. Hope you enjoyed it!


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